Ch. 41..50
Returning from the Dead Chapter 41
“Ms. Nancy, what do you think of my gloves? Do they look nice?”
“Yes, they are lovely!”
Sasha was carefully peeling off prawn shells with her head lowered. When her son asked for her opinion, she instinctively glanced at his little hands.
However, all it took was one glimpse to make her heart wrench in pain as she recalled the scene when she first stepped into the villa.
“This pair of gloves is from Ms. Xandra. She told me that she knitted it herself.” Upon hearing his mommy’s compliment, Matteo let her have a closer look at his gloves.
Sasha was at a loss for words.
She knitted the gloves by herself?
This pair of gloves doesn’t look hand-knitted at all. It is impossible for the stitches of hand-knitted gloves to be so perfect without any variances. Besides, instead of having the colorful crystals added to the gloves with separate stitches, a person who knows how to knit will use the same wool to combine all the crystals so that the stitches will appear nicer and more natural.
How can this pair of gloves be hand-knitted?
Sasha was pretty sure that Xandra did not knit the gloves herself, so she sneered, “Obviously, these gloves are not hand-knitted. The knot of hand-knitted gloves should not look like this.”
“Really?” The little boy raised his voice in confusion.
The dining room was blanketed with total silence almost instantly.
In a blink of an eye, Xandra’s expression changed.
“What do you mean? How can you say that the gloves are not hand-knitted? Sasha Wand, do you know how to knit?”
Sebastian raised the question at once. For some unknown reason, he did not wish to see Sasha’s words turn into reality.
Nonetheless, Sasha glanced at him with disdain and jeered, “Of course I do! I knit for… myself all the time. See? I knitted this top myself!”
Sasha purposely tugged at her knitted top in front of everyone.
Immediately, the dining room became silent again.
Is the show finally about to start?
As Sasha slowly sat down again, she caught a glimpse of everyone in the dining room. The changes in their facial expressions were just like the four seasons. Seeing Xandra’s pale face, Sasha finally cheered up a little. She suddenly had the appetite to enjoy the food on the dining table.
“I don’t want this pair of gloves anymore. Daddy, Ms. Xandra did not knit the gloves by herself. Take them back, you liar!”
Matteo also played his part well. Upon hearing his mommy’s words, he immediately removed the gloves from his little hands and tossed them at the woman seated opposite them.
Xandra’s face had turned as pale as a sheet by then.
“It’s not like that, Sebastian. L-Let me explain, these gloves… I personally bought the wool and the colorful crystals, then asked someone to knit the gloves. I j-just didn’t know how to knit, but the materials were all chosen by me!”
“Yet, you had the audacity to tell me that you knitted it yourself. You’re a liar! I won’t trust you anymore!” Matteo yelled again.
This time, he seemed even more infuriated. He flung the cutlery in his hands to the ground and was about to jump down from the chair.
Sasha stopped him at once and tried to pacify him, “Little Ian, don’t be angry. Since she doesn’t know how to knit, how about I do it instead? Just tell me what you like. I will knit for you, alright?”
“Really?”
Matteo lifted his head and looked at his mommy with teary eyes. He was obviously really upset and disappointed.
At the sight of his son’s pitiful expression, Sasha’s heart ached.
She hugged her son tightly and murmured into his ear, “I promise to knit for you. Trust me. I will get it done for you within two days.”
Sebastian was speechless as his anger rose to a higher level.
He was about to lash out at Sasha again when Xandra lunged toward him abruptly. Thump! She knelt on the floor, wrapping her arms around his legs.
“Sebastian, please listen to me. I didn’t do it on purpose. I really intended to knit the gloves myself in the beginning, but I’ve never learned this before. I tried doing it for a long time but to no avail. Look at my hands… All these tiny holes were poked by the needle! I love you so much, and Ian is your son… Why would I ever lie to you? Sebastian, I had no choice…”
She then showed the man her hands that were full of tiny holes as her eyes welled up with tears, arousing sympathy with her piteous look.
Sasha started to feel uneasy, as if she had a premonition that something bad was going to happen.
This woman was obviously good at playing mind games. She had probably come up with this backup plan earlier on and was prepared to use this tactic once her secret was exposed.
To Sasha’s despair, the usually shrewd man did not realize that Xandra was putting up a show.
As he stared intently at Xandra’s pair of hands, the burning rage in his eyes vanished almost immediately.
“Why did you have to do this to yourself?”
“Yes, you’re right. I admit that I was asking for trouble, but I really felt like doing it. Ian is your son, so I’m trying my best to treat him like my flesh and blood too. Since Ms. Wand knows how to knit, can I learn from her? I promise that I’ll put a lot of effort into this. When I know how to knit later on, I will knit for Ian every day. No matter what he likes, I can knit it for him.”
She was imitating how Sasha talked to Little Ian just now.
Returning from the Dead Chapter 42
“Impossible! I won’t teach you! I can knit Little Ian’s clothes myself. So why would I teach you?”
Xandra’s words agitated Sasha in an instant, and her mind was overpowered by the rising exasperation in her heart. Unable to hold herself back any longer, Sasha rejected impulsively, blurting out harsh words.
Usually, she was not an impetuous person. Yet, she tended to lose control easily when it came to her children.
Upon hearing her words, everyone’s face turned grim, especially Sebastian whose face fell.
“You’re really rude. How could you outrightly reject Ms. Green when she is sincerely asking you to teach her knitting? Who’re you to knit clothes for Ian? You sure are clueless about where you stand.”
Berta broke the silence by criticizing Sasha disdainfully. Every single word from her was of great sarcasm like a sharp knife piercing into Sasha’s heart.
Still holding her son, Sasha clenched her fists at Berta’s words.
“Berta, how can you be so disrespectful to Ms. Wand when she is willing to knit for Ian out of sincerity? Who are you to criticize her? You’re really acting out of line here.”
Unexpectedly, Xandra reprimanded the housemaid at once for being rude to Sasha.
She was still kneeling on the floor, clinging onto Sebastian’s legs, and there were tears on her pretty, flawless face.
It seemed as though she was defending Sasha by speaking up for her.
Protective of me?
Sasha rolled her eyes and snickered. The woman’s pretentious attitude really disgusted her.
Yet, Sebastian was apparently touched by Xandra’s words. When he saw how forgiving and magnanimous she was, the flames of rage in him were completely put out.
“You don’t have to degrade yourself by pleading with her. There’re actually many other things that you can do for my son.”
In an instant, Xandra was on cloud nine. She raised her head and asked excitedly, “Sebastian, are you serious? Does it mean… you’re willing to forgive me? Sebastian, I-I’m so happy…”
She burst into tears, but this time, they were genuine and not crocodile’s tears; they were tears of joy for her victory against Sasha!
Meanwhile, Sasha was trembling all over.
Her heart was filled with a mixture of suffocating rage, despair, and indescribable sorrow. She had a hard time accepting the fact that the man was totally oblivious to that woman’s cunningness. Can’t he tell that the b*tch is just putting on a show?
Perhaps he is deliberately turning a blind eye to everything.
She’s the woman he loves the most, so no matter what she’s done, he will still choose to forgive her. When I was eight months pregnant years ago, he even had the audacity to abandon us just to be with the love of his life.
Sasha tightened her arms around her son’s tiny body and shut her red-rimmed, teary eyes in weariness.
“Ms. Nancy?”
Matteo could sense his mommy’s grief, so he hugged her back to give her mental support.
He finally understood what his mommy had been enduring all this while. Poor Mommy! Daddy’s really dense and doesn’t deserve any sympathy. Mommy made the right decision by leaving him that time. Thank God I’ve stayed by her side all these years!
“Ms. Nancy, don’t be sad.”
“Alright, I’m not sad anymore. Little Ian, don’t worry. I will not let you get hurt no matter what. I will protect you by all means.”
Gazing lovingly at her son’s face, Sasha quickly wiped her tears away and consoled him.
Matteo remained silent, yet Sebastian could sense that something was amiss. He glared at them with a cold glint in his eyes and asked, “Sasha Wand, what are you up to?”
As though her heart had turned stone-cold, Sasha replied calmly, “Mr. Hayes, you really have no idea about what I’m going to do? Since you couldn’t care less about Little Ian’s safety, don’t blame me for being ruthless. From now onward, my only aim is to snatch him away from you!”
“What makes you think you’re capable of doing that?”
“Since I could even crawl out of my grave, nothing is impossible for me. Don’t ever underestimate anyone’s ability. You won’t know what to expect when a seemingly vulnerable woman like me is infuriated. Sebastian Hayes, you’d better think twice before you leap.”
The last few words sent a chill down Sebastian’s spine.
As Sebastian gave Sasha a glance, his heart skipped a beat at the sight of her bloodshot eyes; there was murderous intent in them. If she’s given a knife now, she’ll undoubtedly kill anyone standing in her way with it!
She’s gone bonkers!
Sebastian swallowed hard. “Are you out of your mind?”
“You can say so. If I see any wounds on Little Ian’s body again, don’t blame me for teaching her a lesson!”
After warning Sebastian, Sasha yanked Berta, who was standing beside her, and gave her a hard poke in the neck.
Everything occurred within such a short span of time. Berta could only give a shriek of pain before her stiff body collapsed on the floor. Everyone in the dining room gaped in shock at what they saw.
Returning from the Dead Chapter 43
What did she do?
What just happened?
Astonished, everyone stood rooted to the spot. When they finally recollected themselves and glanced at Berta again, she had stopped twitching on the floor. They only realized what had happened when they saw a long needle glistening on her neck.
My goodness!
At that instant, everyone felt goosebumps all over their bodies. Meanwhile, blood drained from Xandra’s face while her entire body was trembling in fear.
“Sasha Wand, what have you done? Are you crazy? How dare you murder someone here! Have you gone mad?”
Sebastian finally came to his senses. Staring at the housemaid who was lying motionless on the floor, he roared as rage surged within him.
She’s mad! She has gone mad!
Is she even aware of what she is doing? This is a human being, not an animal! How could she kill someone so impulsively? Is she out of her mind? Since when did she become such a cold-blooded and brutal person?
Sebastian felt as if he was about to have a heart attack.
Unperturbed, Sasha stared at him and said scornfully, “Why? Are you scared now? Remember this, Sebastian Hayes, don’t ever try to cross my boundaries!”
Like a phantom, she gritted out those words through clenched teeth before storming out of the villa.
Everyone was rendered speechless.
Xandra was still trembling with fear and could barely utter any words.
It did not come to anyone’s mind to stop her from stepping out of the enormous villa. Xandra only came to her senses when Sasha’s figure almost disappeared from her sight.
“Quick! Stop her! She’s killed someone! How can we just let her leave like that! Go and get her at once!” Xandra shrieked hysterically.
She finally tore off her facade, revealing her true self. Her eyes were loaded with abhorrence as if she intended to rip Sasha into pieces.
But she was fated to be disappointed.
The moment Sasha reached the main entrance of the villa, a miracle occurred. Gulp! Berta, who was still lying motionless on the floor a while ago, suddenly let out a deep breath.
“Cough! Cough! Cough! Ms. Green, I finally… finally made it…”
There was only dead silence in the dining room.
Again, everyone was stupefied.
At Sasha’s rental apartment in Old Town.
When the clock almost struck four in the afternoon, Ian received a call from Matteo. At that moment, he was watching anime with Vivian in the living room. He was not keen on anime, but his mommy had reminded him to look after his sister. So he had no choice but to accompany her.
When the phone rang, he answered at once.
“Hello?”
“Ian, is Mommy home?” Matteo asked Ian right after he answered the call.
Mommy?
Ian scanned his surroundings and frowned; the two of them were the only ones at home. “No, she’s not home yet. Why? Isn’t Mommy with you in the villa?”
Matteo’s face became grimmer.
It’s been quite some time since she left Royal Court One and yet, she’s still not home. I bet Mommy is hiding somewhere and crying right now. When they were overseas, Sasha would never cry in front of her children in order not to let them worry about her. Whenever she was upset, she would go somewhere else till she felt better.
Matteo could not wait to leave the villa at once to look for his mommy.
“Ian, let’s swap back.”
“Huh?” Ian was startled and asked curiously, “Swap back? Now? I thought you said tomorrow?”
He was starting to like this place and yearned to spend more time together with his mommy. At the thought of the villa that was void of warmth, he did not feel like going back.
His question triggered Matteo’s frustration on the other end of the line. He yelled in anger, “No, I can’t stay here any longer. What a terrible place! I can’t stand it anymore!”
“Why?”
“You should ask your daddy! Ian, who’s that woman named Xandra? Her acting skills are horrible, yet Daddy still chose to turn a blind eye to what she did. He even sided with her and reprimanded Mommy. What happened to Daddy? He doesn’t know how to make judgments, does he?”
Ian was at a loss for words.
After a while, he replied coldly with a scowl on his face, “She’s Daddy’s girlfriend.”
“What did you say? Girlfriend?” Matteo’s face fell. “So does that mean she might become your stepmother?”
Shaking his head, Ian said unhappily, “I’ve no idea. But I don’t like her, and I don’t want her to be my stepmother.”
He had clearly expressed his stance on this matter.
Matteo’s anger was slightly appeased upon hearing this.
“Ian, I’m glad that we share the same sentiments. You know what? Initially, I intended to get Daddy and Mommy back together after discovering our identities. However, I was really infuriated by what I saw just now. I’m really disappointed with Daddy. I’ve never seen such a scum like him!’
Matteo practically roared out his last sentence. He even used the word “scum” to describe his daddy!
There was no doubt that he was traumatized by the incident in the afternoon.
Returning from the Dead Chapter 44
Ian fell silent.
He was not unfamiliar with Xandra and had always known her to be a two-faced phony who would put up a show in his father’s presence. But he didn’t tell on her as he didn’t want to stir up trouble.
As for Daddy, his temperament is the worst. The way he treated Mommy on that boat was just mean!
With that thought, Ian agreed that the two of them should swap back to their original identities. After hanging up the phone, Ian did as Matteo told him and tricked his sister into buying him some food downstairs. He then left the rental apartment and took a cab back to Frontier Bay.
After a few minutes, Ian successfully sneaked into his bedroom in Royal Court One without anyone noticing. This was the first time the twins met each other in person since their births.
“Whoa! We really do look exactly like each other!” exclaimed Matteo as he finally saw his twin brother in the flesh for the first time.
Ian was also amazed at their resemblance to each other. But before he could respond, his small body was already embraced tightly by his passionate twin brother.
Ian was rendered speechless momentarily as there was an unfamiliar but warm sensation spreading from his little chest.
“Alright, I’ve got to go now. Mommy should be back soon,” Matteo explained. He was worried that the longer he lingered, the more likely someone might walk in on them.
Being the more emotional one, Ian replied with a discernible sadness in his voice, “But… will we meet again? And will Mommy come over again?”
After learning what had happened today from Matteo, Ian was afraid that he would no longer be able to see his mother.
Matteo patted his brother’s shoulder while speaking in a comforting voice, “Don’t you worry. Mommy loves you so much, so she’ll certainly come back to visit you. But you have to remember. When she comes back here, you have to protect her from bad Daddy, okay?”
Feeling reassured, Ian nodded and said, “Certainly!”
On that note, the twins’ brief encounter ended.
As soon as Matteo left the room, Sebastian came up from downstairs. He was still fuming over the fact that Ian threw a big tantrum at him after Sasha had left. For the first time in his life, his son told him that he hated him and never wanted to see him anymore.
Since then, the little boy had locked himself inside his bedroom upstairs.
As Sebastian stood outside his son’s bedroom, he furrowed his brows and took a deep breath before knocking on the door. “Ian, it’s Daddy. Can you open the door, please? There’s something I want to talk to you about.”
Instead of opening the door for his father, Ian grabbed onto his pillow and sprinted toward his bed.
He was still mad at Sebastian. If what Matteo said was true, he has really gone overboard for bullying Mommy because of Xandra.
Ian buried his head into his pillow.
“Ian?”
“I’m sleeping!”
The cold and impatient voice from the five-year-old added fuel to the fire already burning in Sebastian, causing the corner of his eyes to twitch uncontrollably.
This little rascal! Since when did he dare to talk like this to his own father? This is ridiculous!
Sebastian had exhausted all his patience and decided to unlock his son’s bedroom door with his own fingerprint.
“Ian?”
“Daddy, you just do whatever it is that pleases you with no regard for others, don’t you? It’s annoying!”
Sebastian had never thought that his son would be capable of throwing such a strong insult at him.
He was taken aback by the intensity of the hatred in Ian’s voice and thus decided to try a softer approach. “I’m sorry. It’s my fault for barging into your bedroom. I was just so worried about you. Ian, I really need to talk to you about Ms. Xandra.”
Ms. Xandra?
Ian’s face turned red. “What’s more to say about her?”
Sebastian suppressed his anger and continued to build his case, “I know, you think that I have acted too rashly toward your… that lady doctor today. I just want to remind you that she’s a stranger, after all. But Ms. Xandra, on the other hand, is someone who will be living with us in the future. So, if I have to choose a side, it’ll definitely be Ms. Xandra. Do you understand?”
“Why is that?”
“Because I love her, and she’s going to be my life partner,” Sebastian replied so flatly as though he was answering to any other business matter in the office.
Ian finally fell silent.
He was not Matteo who had spent all his life living with their mother, so he was not able to fully comprehend how hurtful Sebastian’s words were to Sasha.
Xandra, on the other hand, had been by his father’s side throughout the past five years, so much so that Ian was already accustomed to her constant presence in his life.
“If that’s what you wish, Daddy. But just remember this, if you insist on marrying Ms. Xandra, the lady doctor will no longer belong to you, and she’ll have no relations with you whatsoever,” Ian finally uttered the words that were way too mature for a five-year-old.
“What did you say?” Sebastian’s eyes narrowed quizzically. He wondered if he might have misheard his words.
The lady doctor? Why did Ian mention that woman out of the blue? And what did he mean by she will no longer belong to me? That woman will belong to the Hayes family for all eternity as long as I say so!
Without realizing it himself, Sebastian was offended by the notion that Sasha would have no relations with him at all in the foreseeable future.
Returning from the Dead Chapter 45
Sasha came back to her rental apartment three hours later.
She was at a law firm to inquire about custody issues regarding her eldest son. But the woman was devastated when the lawyer told her flat out that the chances of her getting custody of Ian were zero.
Her dead identity in government archives being the first obstacle.
Secondly, the party that she was up against was just too powerful for her to gain any foothold before a judge.
I could deal with the first problem by restoring my identity and then divorcing that scum. Since our hatred for each other is mutual, that shouldn’t be difficult to achieve. But the second problem is just driving me mad! With Hayes Corporation now ranking among the top ten companies in the world, I’ll never have the same backing as he does to win this case.
Sasha dragged her tiresome body into her rental apartment.
“Mommy, you’re finally home! Uncle Solomon is here, and he’s bought us lots of stuff!” The delighted voice came from Vivian, who ran toward her mother with a lollipop in her hand.
Matteo, on the other hand, seemed to be having a great time talking to Solomon.
Solomon was Sasha’s good friend. They had known each other when they were abroad a long time ago.
Sasha gathered herself and walked over to greet Solomon, “Hello there. Did the kids call you up again? You shouldn’t have given in to them. You live so far away!”
“That’s alright. I actually came here on my own accord to visit the kids. It had been a while since I last saw them. Even less so after you came back,” Solomon replied.
Solomon was a lawyer. Bespectacled, he exuded a pleasant and polite bearing that always managed to make people around him feel at ease.
Sasha stole a glance at the clutters around the house and instantly felt embarrassed.
“I’m sorry about the messiness, Solomon. You see, I didn’t expect a guest…” Sasha said apologetically.
“Don’t be ridiculous. I’m not a stranger.” Solomon gave a faint smile and said, “By the way, Matt was telling me that you were out to see a patient. Is the patient feeling better now?”
“Er…” Solomon’s unexpected question took Sasha by surprise as she fumbled for the right words. I have just managed to turn off that bloody switch!
“His condition was beyond medical help. Forget about him!” the woman grunted.
In the next moment, something seemed to have struck Sasha as she spoke, “That’s right! I almost forget that you’re a lawyer too. Mind if I pick your brain for a minute? If a couple is getting divorced, does the party with extreme wealth always get custody of their kids?”
“Hmm, custody?”
Solomon sat back down elegantly on the small couch. His gaze stopped momentarily on Sasha before he calmly replied, “Yes, almost always.”
Instantly, Sasha’s hopes were shattered.
Solomon was amused by the deflated look on Sasha’s face as he continued to explain, “Having said that, there are exceptions to it. Although having enough money is important, the law dictates that under certain circumstances, the less wealthy party can overtake custody of their children.”
“Is this true?” Sasha’s face instantly lit up as if seeing hope for the first time.
“That’s right. For example, if the guardian has caused physical harm to the kid or engaged in criminal activities. These are just some of the examples. Do you know someone who’s in such circumstances?” Solomon asked out of curiosity after explaining in detail to Sasha.
He was not one to pry, but this was the first time Sasha had sought legal opinion on that kind of matter from him. Hence, Solomon thought that was a little odd.
However, Sasha was not ready to confide in him. So she simply replied, “Oh, it’s just a friend of mine. She’s getting a divorce, but her husband is withholding their kid. So, I just thought I might be able to help her out by seeking some legal opinions on her behalf.”
Solomon smiled in acknowledgment. Meanwhile, Matteo, who had been eavesdropping on the adults’ conversation, was in complete shock. His jaw dropped when he heard the word “custody.”
Custody! I wonder what’s on Mommy’s mind. Is she thinking about taking over Ian’s custody? If that’s the case, it’d be awesome to have Ian coming to live with us. Mommy and the three of us will then form a complete family of four! As for bad Daddy…
There were twinkles in Matteo’s eyes as an idea took form in his cunning little mind. He then looked across the living room at Solomon, who had been stealing glances at his mother, and said, “Uncle Solomon, since Mommy doesn’t know anything about this custody issue, why don’t you take her out and teach her what to do?”
“Teach her?” Solomon was puzzled.
“Yes, Uncle Solomon. I think you should take her over to your place and tell her what to do in detail. I’ll look after Vivi at home, so don’t you worry about us,” Matteo eagerly suggested. Since Daddy is in love with the mean woman, I should find Mommy a boyfriend too. She is such a nice person, so there’s no way men will reject her.
Returning from the Dead Chapter 46
Chapter 46
Sasha was bemused by her son’s mischief.
Nevertheless, she still headed out with Solomon as the man had promised to show her a couple of books that might be helpful.
Her mind was now occupied with getting Ian back.
In Frontier Bay, a man was waiting impatiently for Sasha.
Luke was pacing anxiously downstairs as his boss sat in the living hall, brewing up a perilous windstorm.
“So? Have you found her?”
“Not yet, Mr. Scott. We went to her Aunt Sharon’s house twice and waited outside for a long while. But there was no sign of her. Maybe she didn’t return there?” the weary bodyguards reported what they had been doing all night to Luke.
Luke did consider that possibility as he was told that Sasha and Sebastian had such a bad row in the afternoon that she had pushed Berta onto the floor.
Argh!
Luke’s head was pounding.
Seeing as it was getting late and his boss’ eyes were still menacingly wide open, Luke decided to do another round of searching himself.
His phone rang just as he was about to head out the door.
“Hello?”
“Mr. Scott, I finally have the location of Ms. Wand. She came out of Old Town in a BMW X5 and went to Prime Cloud Corporation,” the bodyguard reported from the other end of the line.
“Did you just say Prime Cloud Corporation?” Fearing he might have misheard, Luke had to double confirm.
The Prime Cloud Corporation across the road from Hayes Corporation? Isn’t that the fast-growing electronics and infotech company that has started to attract our attention of late? What’s her business going over there?
“Are you absolutely positive? What’s she doing over there?” Luke was still trying to wrap his head around this unexpected turn of events.
“I’m not sure as to why she’s there, Mr. Scott. But someone snapped a picture,” the bodyguard said while sending the said photo over to Luke’s phone.
Hanging up the call, Luke inspected the photo carefully. It was indeed a photo taken discreetly in front of the Prime Cloud Corporation building. It would appear that Sasha was being led into the lobby by a bespectacled young man with a briefcase.
She has gone mad! Instead of coming here to treat Mr. Hayes, she followed a man into Hayes Corporation’s rival company. What is she thinking! Doesn’t she realize what kind of trouble she’s getting herself into?
Luke enlarged the picture to take a better look at the man, and when it dawned on him who the person was, he almost choked from his gasp.
My goodness! This is so getting out of hand.
“Luke, what are you doing over there? Have you found that damned woman?” Sebastian barked at Luke as there was still no news of Sasha’s whereabouts. His patience was running thin, and his bloodshot eyes were still wide open.
Luke felt his legs turn wobbly at the thought of what he was about to tell his boss.
Nevertheless, there was no escaping from what needed to be done.
With great effort, Luke brought himself to Sebastian and selected his words carefully. “Mr. Hayes, we have found Ma… I mean, Ms. Wand. But um, she went to another place.”
“Another place?” The man’s head started aching upon hearing that. His expression turned frightening when he spoke, “Who says she can be elsewhere at this hour? Doesn’t she know she should be here treating me?”
This man is so used to getting his way he’s practically tyrannical. Madam only voluntarily visited once to treat him, but now, she’s become his personal doctor and not allowed to have her own life.
Luke could no longer contain himself and blurted out, “Mr. Hayes, Ms. Wand has no obligation in treating you. The only reason she came here last time was so that she could spend some time with Mr. Ian. Now that Ms. Green has returned, it’s only normal that Ms. Wand wants to keep her distance.”
“What did you just say?” Sebastian’s voice was becoming more terrorizing with each word he uttered.
The tension in the living room was palpable.
Sensing his boss was about to erupt like a volcano, Luke almost jumped out of his skin. He then decided to hand over his phone with a trembling hand and let Sebastian decipher the meaning of the picture by himself. After which, he left the splash zone as quickly as his wobbly legs could take him.
The temperature in the living room immediately dropped to sub-zero; everyone and everything was frozen still in a split second. It was so quiet one could hear a pin drop to the floor.
Returning from the Dead Chapter 47
It was hours later when Sasha finally came home. She checked her phone and saw about a dozen missed calls from Luke. Ah! I have totally forgotten to go over to Frontier Bay tonight to treat Sebastian.
When Sasha was at Solomon’s place, he not only showed her the references from law books but also explained to her in detail the methods one could use to gather court-admissible evidence. She had immersed herself in listening to Solomon’s explanation of the relevant legal proceedings and forgotten about Frontier Bay.
Should I still head over now?
The momentary thought entered her mind. But it soon disappeared as she recalled what had happened during the day. Well, I still have some self-respect. Since that scum was willing to hurl all sorts of insults in my face for that phony woman, why should I care if he is suffering!
At that thought, Sasha decided to just wash up and go to bed with her children.
The night passed peacefully.
The next morning, Sasha was about to make breakfast for the kids when she received another call from Luke.
“Madam, Mr. Ian is sick”
“What! How did he get sick? He was still fine yesterday!” Sasha panicked and dropped everything she was doing before walking over to her balcony.
On the other side of the line, Luke covered his mouth and lowered his voice as though he was afraid of being caught making the phone call. “He stayed up all night waiting for you to come over. When you didn’t show up, he started to play chess by himself. You know how fragile his body is. He must have caught a cold. Mr. Hayes is getting ready to take him to the hospital.”
“Oh my…” Sasha felt light-headed and started faltering. Her heart wrenched in pain as a pang of guilt surged in her chest. After hanging up the phone, she hurried back into the house.
What kind of mother am I! I told Ian that I love him and will do everything I can to make up to him. But instead of keeping my word, I was out doing my own thing and didn’t even look after his wellbeing!
Sasha rushed to the living room as Matteo and Vivian had just gotten ready in their school uniforms.
“Matt, Vivi, there’s an emergency matter that I have to attend to. So, we’re gonna have to grab a quick bite on our way to your preschool. Is that okay?
“Sure, Mommy. What’s the matter?” Matteo agreed promptly. But his mother’s apprehensive expression concerned him.
Trying not to alarm the kids, Sasha simply replied, “Oh, it’s just that the son of my patient has fallen ill, and I’ve got to take a look at him.”
Ah! Ian is sick!
Both Matteo and Vivian were surprised by what they heard.
Twenty minutes later, the siblings arrived at their preschool. As soon as their mother was out of sight, the two started to discuss what had happened.
“Matt, it sounds like Mommy was talking about Ian. Is he sick?”
“I think so.” Furrowing his little brows, Matteo seemed to be in deep thought.
It was indeed his idea to get Solomon to come over last night and encourage his mother to go out with him. After witnessing how Sebastian had treated Sasha, Matteo thought it was only fair that his mother found someone who can protect her.
He did not anticipate that Ian would fall sick as an indirect result of his plan.
“He must have become ill because he didn’t get to see Mommy. I’m telling you, Matt, if I don’t get to see Mommy, I will probably fall sick too.” Vivian attempted to analyze the situation like an adult in her childlike voice.
Matteo fell silent upon hearing that.
Oh my gosh. What have I done now…
It was just before half-past eight when Sasha rushed over to Frontier Bay.
She was panting breathlessly from the running. A thin film of sweat formed on her forehead, and her delicate, porcelain cheeks were turning pink. Despite that, she dared not stop since she was almost reaching her destination.
“Little Ian, please be okay. It’s all my fault! From now on, I will never abandon you. I promise.”
When Sasha finally arrived at Royal Court One, she was huffing and puffing with red-rimmed eyes.
“Hold up there. Who are you? And do you think this is a place where anyone can just barge in like that?”
The woman was thoroughly exhausted by then. She explained to the bodyguard in her frantic voice, “Hi, I was here a few days ago. Please let me through. I need to take a look at Ian.”
“Ian? He’s sick, and Mr. Hayes is looking after him in there. Wait, stop right there! You have no permission to enter. Hey!” the bodyguard was yelling after Sasha as she had pushed through him and dashed inside.
But what is Sasha doing here?
The moment she heard that her son was in the villa instead of being sent to the hospital, there was nothing that could stop her from seeing Ian.
Indeed, when Sasha finally reached the villa, she was met with a chaotic scene as opposed to the usually quiet and desolated space; some were packing for the trip to the hospital while others were preparing the medicine and making phone calls to the doctors.
Sasha’s heart sank at the frantic sight.
She dashed inside and was already on her way upstairs when a person was hurrying down with a bowl in his hand.
“Go get some saline solution. It’s the doctor’s order.”
She took another glance at the person with the bowl to realize that he was a bodyguard, who was now doubling as a medical assistant.
Saline solution? Please don’t tell me he’s got diarrhea and is now dehydrated
Returning from the Dead Chapter 48
Sasha panicked and dashed over in an instant. “Why are we using saline?” she demanded. “Why isn’t he on a drip? What’s going on?” She fired off one question after another without giving the bodyguard time to respond.
Unbeknownst to her, Ian had an unusual lymphatic system whereby drips would actually do more harm than good. During the years when Sebastian cared for him, he had been erring on the side of caution.
When Sasha threw open the door after she bounded up the stairs, the scene that greeted her was not what she expected.
“Come on, another bite. When you’ve finished, you’re in for a special treat.”
“Really, Daddy? Can she come back again?” pleaded the child.
“Of course, my boy,” answered Sebastian.
He could not have been more different than his usual haughty and domineering self. Sasha watched as he patiently coaxed the squirming boy, who was doing his best to avoid the spoon. Sebastian is actually a pretty good father.
Steeling herself, she entered the room and stood before him. “Let me do it. A jab will work better to stop the diarrhea.”
When Sebastian looked up at her, Sasha couldn’t help but shudder. His eyes were filled with rage as if her intrusion greatly offended him.
However, his son’s health was the more pressing matter at hand, so he held his emotions back. As he placed the boy back onto the bed, his expression softened.
“Mr. Hayes, I…” one of the doctors started.
“Leave us,” he interrupted him sharply. “Let her do it.”
The doctors hurriedly cleared the room, not keen to be on the receiving end of his temper. Meanwhile, he watched intently as Sasha prepared the equipment. She could feel the intensity of his gaze drilling into the back of her skull.
Not daring to look behind her, she clenched her fists to stop herself from trembling. But one look at the pale child steadied her nerves as she knew that the boy needed her. Taking a deep breath, she administered the dose and observed him.
After twenty minutes, Ian looked much better.
“Does it still hurt, Ian?” Sasha asked softly.
“No, it doesn’t.” Ian shook his head as he lay in bed.
Sasha sighed in relief. Bending over, she kissed his forehead and tucked his blanket in.
“Now, Ian, you need to rest up, alright? I’ll come back and visit you soon.”
Ian nodded, looking over her shoulder at his father.
Sebastian approached her. “Anything else?”
“Don’t yell at her!” Ian sat up as though he sensed Sebastian’s hostility earlier.
Sasha followed Sebastian out of the room and up a flight of stairs, which took them to the third floor of the villa. Then, he stopped and turned around to address her. “I’m going in for a bath. You coming?” A menacing glint flashed across his eyes as he stared at her.
What?
Sasha felt the flush crawl up her cheek and stumbled backward.
“Oh, I—I don’t think I will. You have a good shower. I’ll wait for you out here,” she mumbled, frantically searching for a way out of her embarrassment. Locating the door, she bolted out of there like a hare in a foxhunt.
Sebastian watched her leave with a smirk across his thin lips before he entered the bathroom.
Since Ian’s condition improved, the doctors and guards were dismissed, and the villa quickly became quiet again, with only a few servants.
Sasha came to the balcony on the third floor. As she gazed at the garden below, it seemed like an enticing place, so she went down and made herself comfortable on the patio while waiting for Sebastian.
Right then, she received a text message.
Solomon George: Nancy, aren’t you coming today?
Sasha: Oh no! I’m so sorry. Something urgent came up in the morning, and I forgot to tell you.
She only remembered that she was supposed to meet him at his office for a consultation on a legal matter when she saw the text message.
Solomon’s affable reply came soon.
Solomon: That’s fine. We’ll meet up when you’re free. Just give me a call, and I’ll come to pick you up.
Sasha: Sure.
Soon after, she heard the sound of a door being opened from above. She looked up at the bedroom before entering the villa again.
“Sebastian, have you finished your bath? Can we talk now?”
Confronted with a closed door, she reiterated her request outside the room. Suddenly, the door opened from within, and Sebastian emerged, damp and naked except for the towel around his waist.
Good God!
Sasha’s eyes widened in shock.
Although she had three children with this man, she had never seen his body before!
Returning from the Dead Chapter 49
He was drugged that night, and the lights were switched off when he was trying to force himself on her, so she did not manage to catch a glimpse of his body.
Sasha gulped. His damp torso glistened in the light, accentuating and flattering his shapely muscles. His Adam’s apple bobbed as he spoke, but she did not hear a thing. She was too busy following the water droplets that trickled down his chin and onto his chest.
“Are you done?” Sebastian said sharply.
Sasha snapped out of her reverie. It suddenly dawned on her how long she had been salivating over him like a slab of meat. She wished the ground would just swallow her up just to spare her the embarrassment.
“You were… I just… I didn’t mean to… I thought you were done, and I wanted to speak to you.”
She spluttered on in an attempt to explain herself, not daring to look up. Her porcelain face had reddened like a tomato by then.
Oh, come on. You’re not that innocent.
You’re no stranger to flings and one-night stands. This isn’t the first naked body of a man you’ve seen.
As she stood there deliberating with herself, Sebastian slammed the door shut in her face.
Sometime later, he emerged fully dressed.
“Well? What was it that was so important?” he snapped.
Sebastian straightened up and addressed her with a haughty glare. It was as if he had donned his familiar snarky persona along with that suit. His disdain permeated the corridor and suffocated her, robbing her of her confidence.
Sasha took a deep breath and gulped. Bracing herself again, she blurted, “I would like to take care of Ian if that’s okay with you.”
“Take care? What right do you have to do that? You are an unfit mother. You can have another kid with that adulterer and care for him!”
The words were barely out of her mouth before she regretted uttering them. His remark stung, but her mind was whirring with something else.
Adulterer?
Instantly, her face became as white as a sheet.
Why did he say that all of a sudden? Was he stalking me?
Sasha’s embarrassment turned into indignation. She glared at Sebastian. “Mr. Hayes, did you have me followed?” she asked, barely suppressing the rage in her voice.
“Follow you? Ms. Wand, you overestimate your importance. I do not need to do that. I know everything that goes on around here.” he sneered at her, looking as evil as the Devil himself.
Sasha was stumped. This was his territory, so of course he had eyes everywhere.
But why did he specifically mention the word “adulterer”?
He is just a friend!
“Yes, I went out last night with a friend,” Sasha retorted defiantly. “But Mr. Hayes, watch your choice of words. He is most definitely not an adulterer.”
Sebastian was undeterred. “My choice of words? Tell me, Sasha Wand, have you ever heard of a decent woman going out at that hour with a man and not have any agenda?”
Sasha reached her tipping point.
“If I’m an indecent woman, what does that make you? Remember when you brought your b*tch and paraded her in front of me when I was pregnant? What does that make the two of you? A scumbag and a wench, that’s what the two of you are!”
This time, she had gone too far. Sasha watched in slow motion as Sebastian raised his hand to strike her, his face contorted with rage, but she was too petrified to move.
“Mr. Hayes, what do you think you’re doing?” Luke, who appeared just in time, yelled.
With one stride, he stood between Sasha and Sebastian, who was looking deranged and quite ready to beat her.
This woman is asking to be killed!
Luke restrained Sebastian with some difficulty. “Mr. Hayes, calm down. She only spoke out of turn. I’m sure she didn’t mean what she said.”
Then, he turned to Sasha. “Ms. Wand, you owe Mr. Hayes an apology. Did you know that he waited up for you?”
Sasha was frozen in place since she last spoke and finally came to her senses upon hearing that, but her face turned deathly pale again.
Luke was right—she did not mean to lose her temper. In fact, she was waiting for Sebastian to get out of the shower to apologize for not showing up last night, but his words had hurt her.
That was when her anger got the better of her.
Sasha hesitated for a moment before she said, “The reason I came here was to apologize for last night. My friend needed help, so I went with him. I only recalled our appointment after I went home, but it was too late.”
Returning from the Dead Chapter 50
“Friend?”
“Yes, I came here on short notice, so I asked Clear Hospital to deliver some of my medical books to his place. That’s why I went there last night. To get them,” Sasha explained.
What she said was true in a way. She did go to Solomon’s place last night to take some books.
Luke finally breathed a long sigh of relief.
Then, he began to placate his boss, “Since that’s the case, why don’t you give her another chance, Mr. Hayes? It’s not like she committed some kind of heinous crime, right? She even rushed over this morning the moment she heard about Ian’s condition. Besides, Ian is probably going to wake up soon, Mr. Hayes. If he sees the two of you quarreling again, I’m afraid he’d…”
He trailed off, but nonetheless, everyone understood the words he left unsaid.
Ian had fallen ill because of them. If he woke up to see them quarreling, he would definitely become emotionally unstable again.
Sebastian glowered at the woman in front of him.
In the end, he walked away without saying anything.
A loud bang reverberated through the house as he kicked the bedroom door open on the third floor.
Sasha jolted in shock and did not dare to stay a second longer, quickly going to her son’s room on the second floor.
Whatever. As long as I get to stay, nothing else matters.
Ten minutes later, the sound of an engine starting came from outside. Sasha craned her neck to look out the window and saw a black Bentley driving away.
They’ve gone to the company?
So does this mean that I can stay here to look after Ian?
Wild with joy, Sasha danced around the place before returning to her son’s bedside and rubbed his belly with a broad smile.
Meanwhile, as Luke drove toward the company, he stole a few glances at Sebastian through the rearview mirror and caught him pinching his glabella.
Boss is acting so strange this morning.
His “dead” wife obviously has nothing to do with him, so why is he so worked up? I mean, they have cut all ties with each other, so it’s none of his business even if she sleeps with another man.
I can’t believe he even called her an adulterer…
…
Hence, Sasha stayed at Frontier Bay to care for her son that day.
Unbeknownst to her, while she was in the villa, there were a pair of eyes shooting daggers at her from beyond the garden.
“Sasha Wand, you still get to stay here even after what happened? Why? It’s not fair!”
There was a white Maserati parked outside the villa, but it was quite a distance away from Royal Court One, tucked into the corner of the villa next door as if afraid someone might see it.
Hearing the way Xandra gritted out Sasha’s name, the middle-aged woman in the car followed her gaze and asked, “That’s the woman who came back from the dead?”
The middle-aged woman was Kelly Green, Xandra’s biological aunt.
“And here I thought she was some kind of cunning vixen, seeing as she managed to bar you from entering Royal Court One. But it turns out that she’s just an unpresentable woman.”
“You don’t get it, Aunt Kelly. She’s Ian’s birth mother!”
Xandra was upset that her aunt was still underestimating Sasha at a time like this.
Kelly scoffed, “So what? You managed to drive her out when she was pregnant back then, and you’re the one who raised the child all these years, yet you’re telling me you’re no match for her? What’s wrong with you?”
Xandra’s chest grew tight in response to her aunt’s admonishment.
Indeed, she didn’t know what was wrong with her. She had let the opportunity slip from her grasp the day before. Berta secretly told me that after I arrived, Sebastian kept defending me, so I should’ve been able to stay in the villa.
But I never expected that he’d kick me out too after that b*tch left!
What’s worse, I’m not even allowed to set foot in the villa today.
Meanwhile, that woman gets to roam freely in there.
Xandra’s eyes gleamed with hatred and malice as she stared vehemently at the mother and son pair on the second floor.
“What’s the use of glaring at her like that? If only looks could kill, eh? Well, it’s better to utilize the time to think of some other ways.”
“Ways to what?”
“Ways to make sure she dies permanently this time, of course.”
Kelly looked at the figure in the villa with a neutral expression on her face, but the glint in her eyes was much more terrifying than her niece’s, as though there was a monster lurking beneath her skin.
Sasha stayed at Frontier Bay for the whole day.
Halfway through the day, Sebastian returned home once, which was out of her expectation. Perhaps it was because he hadn’t slept the night before and couldn’t take it anymore.
When Sasha saw him come home, she instantly became a bundle of nerves, worried that his anger from this morning hadn’t yet subsided.
Fortunately, he didn’t say anything this time. After allowing her to administer the injection, he went upstairs to sleep for half an hour before he prepared to leave for the company again.
“Sebastian, umm… Since I’ve already given you the injection, I won’t be coming tonight. My uncle isn’t well, so I have to check up on him later.”
Right before he left the villa, Sasha cautiously informed him that she wasn’t coming at night.
In truth, she wanted to go home to check up on her other two children.
However, when Sebastian heard that she wasn’t coming at night, he turned around and pinned her with a gloomy stare.